Colonel Flag Man: Eckhardt receives honor from Kentucky

Larry "the Flag Man" Eckhardt is now a Kentucky colonel.While he is disappointed he didn't also receive the secret recipe for the colonel's fried chicken, Eckhardt said he is humbled by the honor bestowed to him by the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

Comment

By Annie PittmanGateHouse News Service

Star Courier - Kewanee, IL

By Annie PittmanGateHouse News Service

Posted Jul. 2, 2013 at 7:51 PM
Updated Jul 2, 2013 at 7:53 PM

By Annie PittmanGateHouse News Service

Posted Jul. 2, 2013 at 7:51 PM
Updated Jul 2, 2013 at 7:53 PM

LITTLE YORK

Larry "the Flag Man" Eckhardt is now a Kentucky colonel.

While he is disappointed he didn't also receive the secret recipe for the colonel's fried chicken, Eckhardt said he is humbled by the honor bestowed to him by the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

The title is the most recent of four awards Eckhardt was honored with between May 17 and June 17.

Since 2007, Eckhardt has made it his mission to attend the funerals of fallen members of the military, and others who risk their lives daily, such as police officers, firefighters and emergency medical service personnel.

"I went to a funeral for a soldier, and I didn't think there were enough flags," Eckhardt said.

He drives, often far, to make sure the hero's funeral surroundings are adorned in red, white and blue — with 2,380 flags.

On June 17 the Kentucky Legislature voted to make Eckhardt a Kentucky Colonel.

The Flag Man doesn't do it alone, he said. He gets a lot of help from volunteers, some who travel from 100 or 150 miles to lend a hand.

Volunteers and supporters can keep tabs on The Flag Man by following his Facebook page or emailing him at larry_eckhardt1@yahoo.com.

Many of Eckhardt's flags were donated, including 950 from Rick Randall, Jr., of Kirkwood, Mo., who creates picture boards for funerals of fallen heroes.

A book is currently in the works, about the work of Randall and Eckhardt — a sort of patriotic dynamic duo. Publication is anticipated for the fall of 2013.

The Flag Man lined the streets of Kewanee for the funeral of fallen Kewanee soldier Sgt. Schuyler Patch, and in Atkinson for the visit by President Barack Obama who personally thanked him for his service.

He carries his growing number of flags in an enclosed trailer given him by the Kewanee and Galva communities and the Kewanee Elks Club at the homecoming for the Kewanee National Guard unit from a tour in Afghanistan.

Page 2 of 2 - In a way, this is Eckhardt's call of duty – honoring those who have made the ultimate sacrifice protecting the people of the U.S.